Two Down, One To Go

It's hard to believe this, but tomorrow I start my first day of my third year of residency, which for me is the last year until I finally go out on my own and get a real job.  Last week the incoming first year residents had orientation and while I didn't spend much time with them during their orientation I did spend all day Thursday and Friday with them during ACLS re-certification (Advanced Cardiac Life Support).  It was interesting to talk to them and answer their questions and hear their fears about the upcoming year.  So much has happened in the past two years that I kind of forgot that I had the exact same concerns and fears when I was first starting residency too. Now I just go to work everyday and don't really think about these things much.  It just goes to show you how many things I've learned in the past two years.

I now have one more year of monthly rotations.  I spend three days per week at my rotation which changes at the beginning of the month.  I spend the other two days per week at my clinic, seeing my own patients.  It should be an exciting year.  I anticipate within the next couple of months I should have a pretty good idea on where I'll be working full time in the future.  One year from now I will finally be out on my own, which is both exciting and scary (I will likely have the same concerns when I start my real job as the new residents have about starting residency.).

They released a flier to post in various departments of the hospital with the name, picture, and pager number of all the residents.  Being a senior, I am at the top of the page along with my lone senior classmate.  The picture is symbolic of me making it to the top of residency.  I better enjoy being on top while it lasts.  Next year I start all over again at the bottom of the totem pole.